Worry
by xenowriter
Summary: Sloane X Kaetus fic. A meeting for angaran interest sends Kaetus off an errand and finds himself in a Collective ambush. This is something I wanted to explore in ME: A since it wasn't described in the game.


Worry

 _"You and Sloane seem close."_

 _"What about it?"_

 _"Nothing. Just wondering what's the story there."_

 _"We met on the Citadel. She punched me in the face when I offered to buy her a drink."_

 _"Seriously?"_

 _"No. Mind your own business, Pathfinder."_

Darkness still covered the badlands of Kadara outside the port when Kaetus woke up. He could still feel Sloane's warm nude sleeping body next to him. Her soft murmurs escaped her lips as she dozed from being spent after their session. Sliding slowly out of the bed, the turian stretched and let his eyes adapt to the darkened room. Chuckles could be heard outside Sloane's private quarters as their krogan bodyguards were exchanging a few war stories.

Fumbling through the dark for his clothes, he sat back down on the edge of the bed to get dressed. He tossed his head to the side back towards Sloane. The sheet was draped over her naked form loosely letting her breasts become slightly exposed. He bit his tongue as he let his gaze linger longer than it should. He never would have thought after joining up with her on Kadara that it would lead to this. She never admitted to any true feelings for him and neither did he. That's what it had been for months and probably for the best. News traveled faster through the port than ships and he didn't want information like that falling into Collective's hands. Though he pretty much figured any smart person could have put the two together. Fuck what they thought. "Leaving me already?" Sloane's words cooed to him playfully.

"Too much noise outside from the guards. I need to check on things." He tossed his head towards the door.

Sloane Kelly rose up from the bed and pulled her knees to her chest as she watched him. The sheet falling completely away from her body, he noticed. "You were good." The comment threw him off and he froze as he was slipping his shirt back on. Now halfway dressed, he moved his body to look pointedly at her. "Why this time?"

"Why what?" The question puzzled her and she flicked her braids back behind her head.

"You know damn well what." His voice was on edge as he sat there looking incredously at her. "This wasn't the first time you and I had sex. We are nothing." Kaetus fought back the pain that filled his mouth. Sloane remained so cold and reclusive that sometimes she gave him mixed signals. Of course he wanted to be more than a few nights here and there when they were in the mood to release some tension. Or when they had too many drinks…

"Quit being such a baby, Kaetus. You don't like compliments? Fine." She became defensive as she moved back down to her side once more with her eyes still looking up at him. "Don't play coy. I know you enjoyed it. You were loud. I'm sure my guards heard you."

Kaetus replied back with a grunt as he continued to get dressed. "You shouldn't have done it."

"Done what?"

"That party. It wasn't necessary and made you too vulnerable. What if the Collective sent in an assassin?"

Sloane moved over and slipped her hand on his shoulder as she nuzzled him with her face against his neck. Her lips slowly reaching out and touching the leathery skin of his neck. "It was a political necessity and I had you at the door to protect me." Her voice softened as her warm breath caressed his flesh.

Kaetus still remained guarded. He turned his head to look at her as the best he could. "The angaran are not important. Fear should be enough to keep them in line. I don't like how the Pathfinder has been lurking around more and more. I don't trust her or the Initiative."

Sloane recoiled and got up from the bed to grab her own clothes. "I trust her some."

The thought of the Initiative capturing Kelly and dragging her back off to the Nexus filled Kaetus' mind as he watched her. He would follow her to the end of the galaxy. He was going to make sure nothing happened to her under his watch. Anxiety about losing her made him impulsively move to her and wrap his arms unexpectedly around her waist drawing her close. "I don't want anything to happen to you." He breathed ruggedly into her ear. The confession threw her off and she felt herself melting into his arms.

"Nothing will. I have handled myself from the mutiny and I took this port from the kett." Sloane kissed him sweetly.

"The Collective worries me. What if their numbers are more than we think? They could barge in and overtake us."

"You worry too much."

Weeks later….

"May the stars and skies light your way." The female angaran greeted Sloane and Kaetus in her meeting hall. She was the typical looking female with a light purple skin tone.

Glad you were able to come. Heard you have a proposition for me that may benefit us both." Sloane relaxed in her chair. Most times, she didn't bother listening in to what fool thought would bolster their hold on Kadara; she would only listen to Kaetus. However, with murders happening more frequently in the port, she knew she had to quash the problem before it became an epidemic.

"My name is Keema Dohrgun and I have been sent as an emissary to speak on behalf of the angaran that have resided at this port _before_ your kind arrived."

"If my memory recalls me, the port was overrun by kett when we first got here." Kaetus snapped back defensively as he remained at Sloane's side.

"Kaetus…" Sloane laughed a little as she raised her hand to silence him. "Do not be rude." She then looked back at Keema. "Two minutes to peak my interest and then I will see my guards escort you out."

Keema didn't seem insulted from the command. She took a breath. "The angaran are proposing that we join with the Outcasts to take out the Collective. Of course on certain terms."

Sloane gave Kaetus a silent look. This was definitely unexpected. With angaran aid backing them, she would have the numbers and the resources to definitely reveal the Charlatan and remove him. Kaetus nodded his head to give his approval. "What is it that you want in return?"

The angaran smiled bigger. "I have a thirst. Shall we discuss this more over a drink?"

The leader of the Outcasts fought the urge to roll her eyes. So this is how it was going to go…fine, she would play the game. "Go to our store, Kaetus."

"Any angaran wine?" Keema's voice rose with interest.

"No," Sloane became uncomfortable in her chair and sat up straighter. "Not a popular-"

"Pity," Keema cut her off. "My people always believe that deals are met the quickest over our wine. I know a vendor that sells it in the market. Your aid can fetch it?" Her glassy eyes moved to Kaetus' direction. "I'll be happy to send the creds over."

Kaetus growled lowly from the insult. Everyone on the port knew that he was Sloane's second-in-command. Not some aid. Kelly heard him and touched his arm lightly. "Go to the market. I'm sure it won't be long."

The turian blinked at her. "Sloane, I don't think-"Even as boring as this conversation was going to be, he didn't feel right just leaving her.

The braided hair woman glared at him. "That's an order."

Keema remained quiet as she observed the exchange and Kelly knew this. She didn't want the angaran get any ideas about the Outcasts' leadership. Just in case this deal went sour. After all if they were playing to her group, what would stop them from going to the Collective?

Kaetus swore under his breath as he made his way through the busy market. Keema's navpoint directed him to the lower part of the port and further away from Sloane. He hated it. Normally, the market was littered with Outcasts guards to keep the peace and identify people who failed to pay their protection money. He noticed in the lower section he didn't see as many. Two or three at the most. This really didn't alert him but he would definitely bring it to Sloane's attention when he got back. A pale green skinned salarian greeted him behind the counter when he arrived. "Glad to have you. May I help you with any of the items I have to offer?" Clearly this guy didn't recognize Kaetus.

"Just give me some angaran wine. Quit the chit chat." He hurried the seller.

"Ah, yes. Just a moment." The vendor hummed softly to himself as he moved to his stock to find the item. Kaetus sighed hard in aggravation as he looked on.

Suddenly, he heard the sickening gurgle of someone being attacked and whirled quickly on his heel to see a group of attackers slitting the throats of the few Outcasts guards. The poor bastards didn't have a chance to defend themselves before the blood poured out of their throats causing them to drown in the red fluid. Then the attackers who seemed to be led by an arrogant smirking asari formed a barrier that blocked his path back to headquarters. Shoppers and vendors alike dove to seek shelter.

"You here to kill me, bitch?" Kaetus rested his talons on his sidearm. The group in front of him didn't have to identify themselves. He knew this was a brave Collective ambush. He had been outnumbered before so their numbers didn't scare him. To him traitors were just as ugly as the kett.

"Kill you?" The asari scoffed. She gave a sadistic grin. "The Charlatan only wants us to rough up Sloane's lap dog." The voice he recognized. It was Tala, one of their recruiters.

"So you switched sides…."

"I never was on your side." She motioned for the men beside her to charge ahead.

Kaetus held his ground and sized each of them up. Two human males, one krogan and three salarians. The asari leading them appeared to be the only biotic. He had to keep his distance with the krogan. Going to hand to hand with him was complete suicide. Drawing his pistol, he opened fire at one human and dove to take cover behind the vendor's counter. The trembling shop keep was cowardly hiding a few feet from him. Knowing he was not going to be any help and neither would be anyone else, he grumbled loudly and picked up one of the items for sale: a flash bang. Activating it, he threw it out into his would be attackers and counted mentally for the bomb to detonate. Squeezing his eyes shut to prevent temporarily blindness, he honed with his ears to pick up the cries of pain from the explosion. The high pitched screams made him alert that he took out probably two if not all of the salarians. Peering up. He saw the human males stumbling to regain their eyesight. The krogan somehow avoided the impact.

Leaping over the counter, Kaetus discharged his clip into the two humans. The ammo shredded through their armor and struck vital organs. Blood splattered over the ground of the marketplace seconds before their bodies followed. That only left the krogan and the asari. The reduction of their numbers didn't make either flinch with fear. "Come on, turian. Want to go against me?" The reptilian being roared.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Kaetus bawled his fists and held his position. He knew that his foe was just trying to bait him into a stupid act. "I think I'll just kill you here." A potential bluff. He knew he didn't have enough rounds in his clip to fatally wound him unless he was lucky enough to hit key points. His mind flashed to Sloane. Was this a setup? Perhaps a larger group was hitting where she was now. Raising his pistol, he fired blindly and meanwhile kept his eyes peeled for any escape routes. There had to be another way up! The distraction was just enough to let the asari catch him off-guard and strike him with a singularity attack. He felt the ground leaving his feet as his body raised up in a vulnerable position. The krogan charged rapidly and head-butted him in the chest. The impact depleted the air from his lungs and he felt his chest burning. The biotic hold let go and he fell down hard. The thud of footsteps echoed loudly in his head as he tried to make himself get back up, ignoring the agonizing pain that flooded his body. Before he managed to get one knee up, the krogan struck again with a hard kick to the side. He felt ribs cracking and the sheer severity of the pain almost made him black out. Wincing he looked over to see the asari staring at him, then the sensation of lifting up hit him again. Before he had another second to think about how he was going to get out of this mess, he was thrown violently into a wall. A wave of pain struck him as several bones in his body broke before he finally lost consciousness.

Hours later…

Sloane paced back and forth. Where the hell was he? She was embarrassed enough to lose the interest of Keema and had to reschedule the meeting. Something had to be wrong. She never doubted Kaetus' loyalty. The door slid open and she stopped in midstride to give the turian an earful. Instead, one of her bodyguards entered. In his arms, he was dragging the motionless body of Kaetus. "Found him on the streets in the lower section."

Blood drained from Sloane's face and she felt her head spinning as she looked on. Her body frozen from stepping closer. He couldn't be done…not him…not now! "Who did this?" She tried to remain calm, but her voice quivered in dread.

"No one's talking." He then shoved a handwritten note in her hand. "They left this."

"C-Collective…" Kaetus whimpered from his mouth as he coughed hard. His body was black and purple all over from the trauma. He groaned loudly as he held onto his side where the fractured ribs were.

Fighting back the hot tears, Sloane knelt down beside him to examine his injuries. "I will have each of their heads."

"I bet you would," He tried to crack a weak smile to her.

"This ends now."

"What are you going to do?" He noticed the look of determination in her eyes. "No. You can't do this alone. I need to be by your side."

"It's time to get rid of the Charlatan. I'll call him out. The Pathfinder will aid me."

"Sloane…" He urged.

She smiled down at him. "You worry too much."


End file.
